Fifth Business by Robertson Davies
After retiring from forty five years of service as Senior History Master at a boy’s private school, our narrator Dunstan Ramsay, offended by an article which depicts him as a senile old man, decides to write a letter to the school’s headmaster so he can relate his life story and set the record straight. His complex friendship with Percy Staunton (aka Boy) provides plenty of content, with Percy having married Dunstan's girl and taking advantage of life to the fullest as an industry magnate who just keeps getting more and more successful, even managing to grow richer during the great depression. There is also Mrs Dempster who occupies much of Dunstan’s thoughts and eventually his resources too, as he takes responsibility for an incident which occurred in his boyhood and which everyone believes has brought on her mental deterioration. Paul Dempster, her son born prematurely, presumably also because of the same incident, runs away to join the circus one day. It is Dunstan's fascination (or obsession?) with saints which brings him to travel through Europe and eventually to a magic show which briefly reunites him with Paul. The story is quite serious in tone but Robertson’s skill as a master story teller keeps it interesting, and a sudden twist toward the end of the book creates a nice bit of intrigue to lead us into the next book in the trilogy.
However, I won't be following it up with the second book quite just yet, as there are several unread books which I've promised to send out to people via BookMooch and must therefore take priority. Which is a good thing in a way, because I always have trouble choosing which book I should pick up next (not surprisingly)).
February 28, 2009
Fifth Business
February 27, 2009
Quote of the Day
“They say that nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds.” ~ Winston Churchill
February 26, 2009
Thirteen Wishes I Wish Would Come True [#32]
My participation to Thursday Thirteen has been sporadic at best, but I was inspired this time by a comment my father made, when he pointed out that one of my stated wishes had recently come true and that it might be a good idea to try wishing for things more often. I’ve made many wish lists over the years and have rarely looked back to check whether they have all come true. But moving forward, my thinking has always been “if you don’t ask, you don’t get”. So I’ll ask and we’ll just see!
1. My first wish is that I’ll wish for the right things. I always worry that “you always get what you wish for” and sometimes that turns out not to be so great after all. I’d like my wishes to bring me and those I love more happiness, health and prosperity, so I guess I’ll take it from here.
2. My next wish is that I’ll figure out what it is that makes me truly happy and be able to combine plenty of whatever that is in my life from now on.
3. I wish that I could in some way ensure that my parents are well provided for as they grow older.
4. I also wish that my parents will live long lives so we’ll have plenty of time to get together and share special times together.
5. One of the things I keep wishing for in my mind is that I’ll figure out what it is I want to do for a living that will be fulfilling, will allow me to pursue other interests, and will be a very good source of income. I also deeply wish this epiphany will come to me as soon as possible and that I’ll have the courage to act on it. In fact, I wish for courage, period.
6. I wish I could figure out where I most want to live in the world and have the courage to choose that place and finally really feel at home.
7. I wish to live in a place where everywhere you look there are beautiful and inspiring things to see so that when I walk out of the house (which I will want to do often) I can walk in any direction for hours on end and feel uplifted and enchanted as opposed to dispirited.
8. I wish, with every single cell in my body that the feeling of constant mental and physical pressure and tension that has always been with me would lift once and for all. I wish I could stop taking medication for the rest of my life and live in a perpetual state of contentment.
9. I wish I would really believe, wholeheartedly believe that I DO deserve better, and that doing better could actually benefit those I care about, as opposed to taking anything away from them.
10. I wish I could do more to make a difference for the environment and for the well-being of all living creatures on the planet.
11. I wish that the wall I have always put up between other people and me would no longer feel necessary, so that I could be more sociable and not feel so awkward around people all of the time. I also wish I could stop worrying about or anticipating what other people might think about me.
12. I wish that Fritz and I could get along better, it saddens me that he seems so unhappy with me. I wish I knew what I should do to make things better for both him and I.
13. Finally, I wish... I could stop worrying about ending up alone in my old age. I wish I could just trust in life and know, really KNOW that life (or God or the Universe or whatever) truly will provide in a way that is best suited to me.
Of course, there are many more wishes I could, and probably will make. But I think I’ve covered the essentials for now. Sending it all out to the universe... we shall see what happens!
February 25, 2009
Two Seconds of Eternity
When it happened today, I just suddenly felt... lighter. Or like my head had suddenly cleared and for once was completely free of pain or pressure. I felt... contentment, which in my book these days is even better than happiness, which is all too unreliable. But it was as if I suddenly *knew* that everything would be fine. More than fine. Not a cloud in the sky, not a single worry. All this happened within a second or two, but the feeling was so pleasantly foreign to me that it was as if I’d entered someone else’s mind. Someone who doesn’t have a care in the world. And then the instant I realized this was happening, in a conscious way that is, everything came crashing back down, and the old familiar angst had a strangle hold on me again.
It was... a moment of Grace. I know now what they mean when they say “reaching a state of grace”. Because I’ve been there for a whole two seconds, or more like a second and a half. I’m guessing that when they refer to someone as “being in a state of grace” they mean you have to be able to hang on to it for say... several minutes, or even hours or DAYS at a time even. Hard to fathom. I had never experienced anything like that in my life before, but this was the third time in the past two or three years now that this has happened to me, so I feel blessed to have experienced it, however fleeting the moment has been so far. I swear if I could bottle that up and sell it, I’d be the richest person on the planet. But then, it’s one of those things that you can’t try to grab a hold of because the second you try to own it, it’s gone.
That’s the best I can do to describe those two seconds out of my day today.
Two seconds of eternity.
February 22, 2009
Quote of the Day
“Mistakes, I’ve made a few. I just wish I could get back all that time I wasted on dating.”
~ Smiler
“The World’s Best-Selling Book”
It’s Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be: The World’s Best Selling Book by Paul Arden
I picked up this little book at Urban Outfitters the other day. I rarely walk out of that store empty-handed because there are always fun little nick-knacks everywhere. Call it good merchandising I guess. Which is what this book is all about in a way: how to market yourself to become a big star, whatever industry you happen to work in. It’s supposed to be a book for everyone, but there’s a big focus on advertising and how to surpass demands in that field. I worked in advertising as a creative a long time ago, so none of it was really new to me. Actually that whole “Be the best or die” attitude really got on my nerves after awhile. And besides, call me an underachiever, but I actually prefer spending evenings and weekends with a good book hanging out with my cats rather than brainstorming for the ad campaign of the century time and time again. Even that gets old after a while. I suppose if you’re just starting out on the job market, there’s plenty of good advice. Paul Arden is considered to be an advertising guru, so if you’re thinking of working in that field, you should make this little book your bible. Arden compares it to no less than Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. I’ll leave it up to you to decide whether the comparison is justified or not.
February 21, 2009
So the Devil Visited Moscow...
Having read a bunch of reviews before starting to read this book, I had some idea of what to expect. But there were still plenty of surprises in store for me. From the beginning, we are introduced to a character named Mr. Woland and it quickly becomes apparent that this man has supernatural powers. People who come in contact with him seem to die or end up in an insane asylum, and when he hosts a Black Magic show at the variety theater, there are 2,000 spectators who all witness impossible feats of magic, though it is later agreed upon by the authorities that they were all victims of mass hypnosis. It is hard to figure out what is “true” and what is “fabricated” in this novel, because Bulgakov seems to have amused himself with keeping the reader guessing as to what parts of the novel actually happened within the story and which parts were figments of a characters’ imagination.
Bulgakhov died before finishing his book, which he worked on for many long years, not imagining once that it would ever be published, let alone become a worldwide sensation. Having written the better part of the novel in the Stalinist Soviet Union of the 1930’s, Bulgakhov rightfully feared reprisal for expressing his own views on the regime. This novel, constructed with layers of meaning enabled him to mask his anti-Soviet and anti-Stalinist criticism and also explore religious and Romantic themes which had fallen out of favour in Communist Russia. There is much material here that might not be deciphered by the average reader, unless he or she had a thorough understanding of the conditions and politics during that era. There are also clever plays on words that were inevitably lost in translation, and had it not been for the annotations and afterword provided in this edition, most of these references would definitely have been lost on me.
On first reading, a person might easily think that the main character is the Woland/Devil character, since we are only introduced to the Master and Margarita further on in the book. The goings on of the Devil and his retinue are interspersed with the Master’s story about Pontius Pilate’s encounter with Jesus. There are many themes in this book: religion and the gospel, references to Faust, what consists true art, the subjectivity of good and evil, and so on. Personally, I more than anything enjoyed the antics of Woland and his entourage and predictably, Behemoth the giant talking cat, who is the cause for much destruction and mayhem.
February 20, 2009
Mooching Encouraged
I just joined a site the evening called BookMooch which encourages members to trade books, all for free. There is no fee to become a member and receiving books is free—you just have to earn points by listing and sending books, and you then “pay” for your selections with the points you’ve earned. Of course, you have to pay for postage when you send out books but since with every book you send you’re entitled to mooch a book yourself, it all works out nicely.
When you sign up, you can create a wish list, and BookMooch will email you any time one of the books on your list becomes available. You’re encouraged to add books to the inventory from the get-go since it’s the best way to get the ball rolling: when you list 10 books, you earn one point which you can put toward getting your first book. And so on.
I listed only five books [those not requested by you mom], but within less than 30 minutes, I had one request from a Canadian member and two inquiries from American moochers. You are not obligated to ship outside your country if you don’t want to spend too much on shipping, but I decided to accept international shipping (by special request only) because with each book sent out to a foreign country, you earn 3 points. It’s a great way to get your hands on hard to find editions or books that are not released in your country of residence. If you’re in a giving frame of mind, you can donate your points to one of the charities BookMooch is afiliated with. It’s also a great way to keep freeing up shelf space... which you’ll need to make room for those latest batches of books you’ve mooched.
Illustration from BookMooch.com
February 18, 2009
... But Don’t Call it a Diet
Well, the good news is I’ve managed to go down a dress size over the past four weeks, but I can’t say that physical activity had anything to do with it. I’ve mentioned it in passing before but didn’t delve into the fact that I decided to try out the Nutrisystem program. The truth is I was a little bit embarrassed to talk about it because it just seems to me a little bit tacky and besides, there was no point talking about it before I’d tried it out for a while. I used to laugh at the ads and wonder what kind of people actually go for a program like that. That was before I lost the pleasure of cooking. So apparently, people like me join up all the time. I thought it would give me a head-start because I’ve gotten tired of lugging around all the extra rolls around my belly. I grew even more tired of only fitting into one pair of pants with all my best clothes sized two or three sizes smaller. So I figured while I was working up the motivation to exercise more regulary, this would give me a head start.
The prices were reasonable—I calculated it wouldn’t cost me more to feed myself on the program than doing my regular groceries. They sent me a giant box, filled with different types of packets with all my food choices air sealed so that you can just leave it in the cuppboard. I had five weeks’ worth, since they offer a “free” week when you sign up for the first time. They supply foods for breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack which you supplement with dairy and proteins and plenty of fresh fruits and veggies. The first meal I had was so gross I tossed it out in the trash after forcing myself to have a second bite. I figured it was going to be a very long five weeks if all the meals turned out to be like that. I had ordered a large variety of food selections so felt hopeful it couldn’t be all bad, especially considering that in all the testimonials people keep raving about how good the food is. Besides, if it turned out to be really bad, I could always return the rest and get my money back. The second dinner was actually pretty good which was encouraging. From one meal to the next I never knew what I was going to get, but I’d say half of it was... ok to good and the rest was mediocre to disgusting.
I should say that my taste buds were formed from a very young age, and comparing anything to my mother’s cooking... well let’s just say if Nutrisystem were as good as what she cooks up, I’d sign up to the program for life. As it is I’ve ordered those Nustrisystem foods I know are decent for another month, and they’ve offered to replace those meals I won’t eat. After that, we’ll see. Maybe I’ll continue until I’ve dropped two more sizes. Or if I can’t stand the food by then maybe I’ll take up cooking again and prepare batches of foods in advance to recreate the system in my own way, since it’s really quite well nutritionally balanced and I never go hungry or feel like I’m depriving myself. If I’m lucky maybe I’ll find a great caterer who makes tasty and healthy foods at a slim price. And if I win the lottery, I might fly in dishes from my mum fresh everyday. Either way, I doubt Nutrisystem will be making me their spokesperson anytime soon, but one way or another, I’ll find my slimmer self again.
Quote of the Day
“I was depressed...I was suicidal; as a matter of fact, I would have killed myself but I was in analysis with a strict Freudian and if you kill yourself they make you pay for the sessions you miss.” ~Woody Allen
Morbid, I know, but funny to me. Just my way of coping right now. I see it as a small step towards optimism...
February 16, 2009
Shell-Shocked
I’m not sure why I should be the least bit surprised. And the ground’s still under my feet, so there’s no reason to feel so dizzy. And I’m here comfortably ensconced in my home with my loving cats so there is nothing to fear. And even though I feel like I’m in a free-fall, there’s a nice big safety net which already has and will catch my fall again, whenever I need it to. And yet.
I’ve been on extended medical leave for almost two years now, and I figured that they weren’t exactly going to hold their breaths and keep my job for me. But until I got confirmation one way or the other, I could let my imagination roam. Well I spoke to HR today and it’s official: I haven’t had a job for over a year now. It’s almost laughable that it’s such old news yet new to me. Shows just how out of the loop I am. Couldn’t they have notified me? No they couldn’t, not while I’m still on medical leave. Does that mean I’ve been fired? No, it just means that while I was away the world kept on turning. I get that. As it was, I had a hard time imagining going back to a familiar job and working with familiar faces with the old familiar stresses. Right now I don’t even want to think about having to look for a new job. Some part of me keeps telling me this was meant to be. I’m more than just a title, more than just some corporate drone. This is a blessing in disguise and eventually I’ll come to recognize that—one door closes and ten more open, all that good stuff. But today I’m just going to put my feet up and wait for the dizzy spells to go away.
Pic: Rocky Horror Picture Show
February 15, 2009
Quote of the Day
“I shall need to sleep three weeks on end to get rested from the rest I've had”
~Thomas Mann
Ray Charles on My Mind
I just now finished watching Ray, the movie biopic about Ray Charles starring Jamie Foxx. It came out in 2004 but I somehow managed not to see it until tonight after renting it on iTunes. It would seem, as a general rule, that movie biopics always leave me feeling blue. Sometimes I can’t quite say why, but in Ray’s case the obvious things to point out would be the heroin addiction and the womanizing. I knew about all that beforehand and besides, when talking about musicians those are pretty standard vices, but it somehow affected me more this time. Something to do with the fact that he was a legend to me before my baby teeth starting falling out. Seeing this man, a musical genius at grips with such negative influences didn’t inspire in me a judgmental attitude so much as pity, which is one emotion I don’t do well. I think Jamie Foxx well deserved the Oscar he got playing for this role. It can’t have been easy to act with his eyes closed during the whole movie, but what must have helped him greatly as an actor were Ray Charles’ continual tics and twiches and general physical awkwardness, otherwise Foxx wouldn’t have had much to go on. Whatever the case may be, Foxx did it convincigly and well. I couldn’t suspend disbelief enough to forget it was Jamie Foxx acting, maybe because Foxx himself is such an accomplished singer and actor, but it didn’t prevent me from getting into the story.
Maybe what leaves me sad, ultimately, is the reminder that yet another legendary talent I grew up with is now gone forever. I remember one of the times he came to Montreal, for the Jazz Fest in the summer of 2000. I had gotten ticket for my dad and me, knowing that my dad had always liked Ray Charles and figuring it was a nice gift for his 60th birthday. Sadly, I don’t remember much of the concert. I was mostly upset that we weren’t closer to the stage and so far from the action. I do recall that the steak dinner we had afterwards, at Moishe’s famous steak house was out of this world. Makes me hungry just thinking about it.
Photograph of Ray Charles by Howard Moorehead
February 14, 2009
February 12, 2009
“Nuit de Serendip”
“Nuit de Serendip” is the name of the scent of these Manuel Canovas candles. As I wrote on my eBay listing: “Nuit de Serendip” is a scent which envelops the senses, with floral and sensuous notes combining freesia, tuberose, jasmine and orange blossom.” I got them this week on Greene Ave, which is a small street in Westmount with a bunch of exclusive shops where rich Westmounters can pay double retail prices on upscale merchandise. There was this lovely paper store that I had stopped in once or twice over the years which was having a big closing sale—everything half-price. I grabbed a bunch of gorgeous wrapping papers—I have a collection of them and keep telling myself I’ll give out more gifts or start an art project someday—and then started looking around for things I might be able to sell on eBay. The store was half-empty but there were still all kinds of things left, like there gorgeous photo albums which cost small fortunes and some baby items that I was sure would sell and then I saw this collection of Manuel Canovas stuff which had been heavily plundered, though I managed to find these two candles which were still intact in their boxes. The scent was (and is) heavenly. Even at 50% off they were still expensive and I thought I should only buy things that I would want for myself, in case they didn’t sell on eBay as expected (happens sometimes). Somehow I doubt they’ll get sold because they aren’t what you’d call a bargain to begin with and even less so after you add on the shipping cost...
I seem to have followed my own advice on the blog this week, when I posted that quote about putting things off ‘till after tomorrow. I didn’t mean to, but then I started writing a blog post that was going nowhere and since it was late and I was tired, I just put it off and next thing you know, three days had gone by. Which is why I feel guilty about keeping scented candles for myself. You light them and before you know it 40 hours have gone by (so to speak) and all you’re left with is a jar full of soot. At least I’ve got a nice picture to remember them by. Whether I sell them or not they’ll be gone soon enough.
Photo by Smiler
On Chesil Beach
This was my first Ian McEwan book. I had originally wanted to start with Saturday, but this book was underhand and it had the advantage of being short, which suited me just fine since I wanted to catch up on my book count. Did I mention that my goal this year is 50+2 books, or 15,600 pages? I figured since I made it to 50 last year, I could probably cram in a couple more. It’s not a race, it’s just that with so many great books to read, I’d like to cover some ground.
I had no expectations at all when I started reading this book and was at first charmed by how beautifully McEwan writes. I knew the topic of the book involved a young couple, Florence and Edward, on their wedding night in the early 60’s, both at grips with their unspoken anxieties in regard to the consummation of their marriage. One thing I found interesting was how McEwan continually pointed out how different mentalities were before the sexual revolution—things we might easily forget nowadays when seemingly “anything goes”.
Also interesting to me were Florence’s thought about intimate physical acts such as kissing or groping which were described in great detail, almost clinically, rendering any mention of sex completely devoid of sensuality and making it sound grotesque even. I thought McEwan’s delving into the territory of carnal needs and fears illustrated perfectly what a great chasm there was between the two newlyweds before they had even tied the knot.
I found the ending disappointing. It was all too fast and there was too much information and I found myself wishing we hadn’t been told about any happenings at all beyond that wedding night. I felt it would have been better to leave it up to the reader’s imagination to decide what course their lives might have taken on after that night, but then of course, that would’t have been enough material even for a novella. Overall, I gave it three and a half stars—it was ok and I liked it in parts, but it definitely wasn't one of my favourite books so far this year. Still, I'm happy I was able to start discovering Ian McEwan’s writing and I look forward now more than ever to reading Saturday, as I wanted to do all along.
February 9, 2009
Quote of the Day
“Don’t put off ‘till tomorrow something which you can do the day after”.
~Alphonse Allais, French writer and humorist
February 8, 2009
What’s Not to Like?
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
I wasn’t sure I’d enjoy reading a book entirely composed of a series of letters, but the description on the dust-jacket helped me decide to give it a try anyway. It’s 1946 and Europe is just starting to recuperate from the war and the German occupation. Juliet Ashton, the principal character, is a successful writer looking for a topic for her next book—as we learn from her intimate correspondence with her publisher and friend. She receives a letter one day from Dawsey Adams, a resident of Guernsey, a Channel Island which was occupied by the Nazis. Having come into possession of one of her old Charles Lamb books and thoroughly enjoyed it, Dawsey asks her to help him find more of his books, and mentions in passing that he is part of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. Juliet is of course intrigued, and thus begins their correspondence, which eventually grows to include more and more members of the Literary Society. The letters reveal a gallery of highly colourful characters (as well as their individual reading choices) and by the second part of the book, Juliet has made the trip to Guernsey to meet her correspondents and admirers in the flesh. She is still searching for the right topic to write about in her upcoming book and hopes the trip will provide inspiration, but as you read the book, you know she’ll find that and much more. I found Juliet to be a very appealing character, someone I myself wouldn’t mind corresponding with (if she weren’t fictional of course!) Although there are reminders of the war and it’s atrocities everywhere, the tone of the book is very upbeat. Indeed, I would describe this as a “feel-good” book, with characters determined to make the best out of the direst of circumstances. What keeps it from being too syrupy-sweet are the constant reminders of the war, and the fact that the characters are entirely believable, each as flawed as they are likeable. Juliet’s voluminous correspondence describes a woman filled with spunk and humour, and a wonderful independent spirit. I raced through it and was only disappointed that I couldn’t read it all in one sitting when the need for sleep became too pressing. But this is one of the very rare books I would like to keep by my side so I can read it over again a few more times. I gave it four and a half stars, so it’s safe to say I enjoyed it.
Mum: if you’d like to read it, I’ll gladly get you another copy.
February 7, 2009
Cooling Off
It might be snowy and cold in many parts of North America and Europe, but in Australia it is the peak of summer these days. It seems southern Australia is especially hot and dry—with average temperatures of 40ºC (104ºF) and up. It’s so hot in fact that our furry little friends are doing their best to stay out of the sun and find ways to cool off. This little koala apparently came onto someone’s shady back porch for a bit of relief. A tub of water was put out for him and after lapping at it for a bit, he got the right idea.
Ahhhhh... Satisfaction!
Thanks to my uncle P for sending me the story.
A Satisfying if Gruesome Mystery
Just finished reading The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, which I actually read as Les hommes qui n’aimaient pas les femmes—Millenium 1 in the French version, translated from the original Swedish. The author Stieg Larsson very suddenly died of a heart attack shortly after handing over all three parts of the Millenium trilogy to his publisher in 2004. The book starts off quite slowly, with a lot of talk about journalism and big business, which would normally have turned me off completely if it weren’t for the fact that I knew that this was important for the rest of the story and that there was much more thrilling fare ahead if I persevered. Michael Blomkvist, a financial journalist is contacted one day by a retired and aging industry magnate to investigate on the 40 year-old mystery of the disappearance of his favourite niece. Henrik Vanger, the old man, makes it clear that he doesn’t actually expect anything to come from this search, but sees it as a final attempt to put the mystery, which has been obsessing him since 1966, to rest before he passes away. Michael is less than thrilled to be handed over a seemingly unsolvable cold-case, but soon, with the help of the girl with the dragon tattoo, aka Lisbeth Salander—who is a researcher/hacker extraordinaire—they uncover a family story that is more gruesome than anyone could have imagined. Can’t really say more without spoiling it. It was highly entertaining and I enjoyed the Swedish setting and characters which made for both a mystery and a travel book rolled into one. I’ll probably seek out the other two books in the trilogy, mostly to read more about Salander, aka Dragon Tattoo girl who is a most intriguing character.
February 6, 2009
little things that make me happy
I’m living proof that progress is not linear. I start doing the right thing and before you know it I slide back into old habits. I manage to overcome huge challenges, only to end up being overwhelmed by seemingly smaller ones. One second I’m on top of the world and the next I’m trying to hang on to the other side of it... I could beat myself up about it, and there are plenty of times when I do. But then there are plenty of times when I just let myself off the hook and focus on finding little bits of happiness here and there. Yesterday there happened to be a nice light inside the apartment, a very rare thing at anytime but especially in mid-winter. I grabbed my camera and went hunting around my place to photograph things that give me some measure of pleasure.
The cats sitting on their kitchen stool.
Neatly stacked cashmere sweaters.
An accessory that looks like it cost more than it actually did.
Quality organic products.
Horn-rimmed glasses with little feet on them—they help me see AND they’re pretty.
Mimi looking adorable in her funny poses.
A bright new springy top in the heart of winter.
My old clock which looks as good whether it’s ticking or not.
Hanging on to a few special objects that are pretty and even useful.
The cats’ place mat.
Repetition creating order. Or lazy tricks to make my place look neat.
My own little treasures (empty boxes and all).
February 5, 2009
Whale Medicine
This came to me today via DailyOm, it was very timely somehow.
Spirit Of The Sea
Native Americans teach us that the Great Spirit speaks to us through our animal brethren. The whale is one animal that we can learn from. Whales have existed for over 50 million years and are considered to be record-keepers who possess knowledge of the past.
It is through the vibrations of their unique sound that they release this ancient wisdom to us. At the same time, their sound carries across such great distances that whales can enter the realm of the future where they can acquire knowledge of what is to come. Every whale sings a song, and they never repeat the same pattern when they sing their song. Since whales must be conscious at all times in order to breathe, they cannot afford to fall into an unconscious state for too long. Never completely asleep, their brain has constant access to the collective unconscious where all answers lie. Whales float peacefully, secure in the ocean environment that supports and sustains them.
You can learn from the wisdom of whales by remembering to express what’s uniquely yours. Each of us has a unique "song" or gift to offer the world. Your song is meant to be sung by you and heard by others. No one else can sing this song but you, and your song is medicine for the healing of the planet. Like whales, you can choose to access information about the future when you go into a meditative state. Whales teach us to look at where we came from and where we are headed. Knowing that our past helps shape our future, we can remember to make positive choices regarding our lives, the environment, and our world. Like whales, we can remember to stay awake and actively engaged in a universe that supports and sustains us. When we express ourselves and share our unique gifts, we add our wisdom and vibration to the planet.
Pic from ecointeractive.wordpress.com
February 4, 2009
Quote of the Day
“Sometimes I stay up so late that I have my morning coffee before I go to bed.”
Of course, I’m trying to change that habit. I think I'll switch to tea instead.
February 3, 2009
The phone rang...
this evening and when I answered a guy asked to speak to someone with an unusual and very familiar name, just not my given name. A screen name I used for a while. He told me his name and that didn’t ring a bell. I said “what are you calling about?” and he said I had responded to his personal ad and he was just now returning the call. I started laughing, partly because I thought it was funny and partly because I felt nervous about life catching up with me. “That’s got to be at the very LEAST two years ago, probably more” “I’ve been busy” he said. “Well I’m not the same person anymore and dating is nowhere on my radar right now” I answered. Of course, he wanted to know just what exactly had changed so much. I wanted to hang up but I found the whole situation so ridiculous that I couldn’t stop laughing. In a former lifetime I desperately wanted to find my soul mate and like anyone in that position tends to do, I was looking in all the wrong places, so internet dating seemed like a normal option. I was a go-getter, I was fit, had a great career going, felt confident about my power of attraction and wanted to find someone who fit the same description. This guy apparently did which is why I had exchanged emails with him and then given him my number. “Were you happy though?” he asked. “I guess not considering what I’ve been through since then”. We ended up chatting for a bit with me mostly telling him all the ways in which I was now a changed person “haven’t shaved in two years, fitness days just a memory now that I have a potbelly, and oh yeah, I've been clinically depressed for two years”. In other words, I made sure to say all the things things a gal shouldn’t say when she’s trying to make herself seem like a good catch. It felt good. Too good. And yet there he was still serving up the kind of talk I’ve heard from what must have been hundreds of men. I had that old feeling of being the cat playing with the mouse again. We were on the phone a while and I kept hesitating between hanging up and saying yet another outrageous thing. Finally another call came in for him “I’ll call you back, I’ll call you soon” he said. He was probably lying and if he wasn’t what for? So he could keep talking to the freak up in Montreal? “He’s got plenty enough to tell his bar buddies as it is” I decided. “Please don’t. Don’t call me again. Take care.” I don’t plan on shaving my legs anytime soon. And no dumbass, it’s got nothing to do with feminism.
February 2, 2009
February 1, 2009
Quote of the Day
“When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story
of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot
of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened”
~Winston Churchill
